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Note-taking in the college classroom as evidence of generative learning

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Abstract

College student notes were analysed with respect to the amount of words copied directly, omitted and added to the teacher’s overheads or PowerPoint slides in order to understand the effect of teacher scaffolds on student generative learning during initial encoding. Scores on quizzes taken at the end of classes from which notes were collected were analysed with respect to the content of student notes and teacher scaffolds. Statistically significant results were found when comparing how much students copied, added and omitted, whether teachers used PowerPoint presentations or overheads, and with respect to the amount of information teachers presented visually. Significant effects also were found on performance quiz items with respect to the amount of information that teachers provided.

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Correspondence to Candice Stefanou.

Appendix

Appendix

Two examples of completely omitted visuals:

Who am I? The Search for Identity During Late Adolescence

Taken from an Educational Psychology class on adolescent identity issues

“Who are you?”, asked the caterpillar. Alice replied rather shyly: “I hardly know, sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I must have changed several times since then.”

Lewis Carroll

Input Price Changes: General results

Taken from an Agricultural Economics class on determining the cost-minimising input allocation for a production target

Suppose that the price of one of the variable inputs changes.

The isoquant does NOT change →

Marginal rate of substitution does not change.

The slope of the isocost line DOES change →

Inverse Price ratio changes.

The least-cost combination of inputs changes.

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Stefanou, C., Hoffman, L. & Vielee, N. Note-taking in the college classroom as evidence of generative learning. Learning Environ Res 11, 1–17 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-007-9033-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-007-9033-0

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